The potager in late summer/early fall
Dear Carol, Mary Ann and all of our gardening friends,
This is our last letter for the season, and it’s a good thing because I don’t have much to report. The chickens jumped up in the garden and ate my cantaloupe, so today is cleanup day in the potager. (Oh dear, that rhymed. I apologize.) I’ll pull up all the tomato vines, the okra and other summer vegetables while leaving annual herbs, like basil, until frost for the pollinators.
Vegetable gardening is funny in Oklahoma because you never know what you’ll get. I had so many tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, peppers and potatoes, summer living was sweet. I thought for sure I’d also be awash in melons, but because they didn’t flower until the heat hit, I only had a few and didn’t get to eat those. Silly chickens.
From the look of these vines covering the walks, I should have a bumper sweet potato crop. I’ve been reading This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader
The back garden in late summer as seen from the deck.
I find I’m more and more interested in sustainability, but with three kids, we would all need to work very hard, and I would need to home school them or have the bus pick them up. Because I don’t trust my local schools, I send my children pretty far from home. Every action we take makes for a series of reactions, some of which we can’t predict. For my children, living out in the country makes them very lonely sometimes, especially my son.
Helen and I at Bustani
As for the garden, I’ve got spinach, lettuce, kale, swiss chard and radish seeds which I will plant today. I was sidetracked by a trip to Bustani Plant Farm with Helen Weis on Friday. We had a blast touring the gardens and buying plants for fall. These are perennials which will overwinter and be stronger than ever next year. By working hard the last couple of days, I planted all of them but four. I’ll finish today or tomorrow. One thing is certain they must be planted before Friday when I leave for Dallas to attend the Garden Writers Association annual symposium. I’m looking forward to the trip, but I’m so not ready.
It’s time to mulch everything with shredded leaves again. The worms will work throughout fall and winter to pull that organic matter down into the soil. I will top off the leaves with Jemasco shredded pine bark for an added layer of protection.
What are you doing to create a fall garden this year, or to put your gardens to bed?
Dear Dee, I am taking my veggies out early, too. Because of the heat and drought, I really only have carrots and parsnips worth keeping.
I am thrilled with the links to the two books … I am beginning to feel I need to change my gardening ways as I am now pushing the big seven 0. Thank you so much.
Have a great time at the symposium.
Pam x
Dee, do you think I could grow sweet potatoes here? I would love to do so. Shoot, maybe I could plant those on the trellis where the morning glory is threatening to take over!
The potager looks beautiful. The red fountain is such an eye catcher. Sure looks different from early spring. Thank you for the book recommendations–I am putting them on my list. Have fun at the Garden Writers symposium. Do you know if Doug Green will be there? I would think he would be a hoot. Have fun in the big D.
It looks beautiful, Dee, and so do you and your friend at the nursery! The end of the veggie growing season is about here as well. We cut down on what was grown, going to the farmer’s market instead. We’ll miss your letters, but thanks for mentioning those books. We need to look into that aging thing as well. 🙂
Frances
I think there may be an interesting shift to more people trying to be “sustainable.” I know I would love to be–but times aren’t the same as they were once upon a time–it does take a lot of work and effort. My family is a long way from sustainable–but I think that every little bit helps!! Plus, all the money I save on summer veggies, the more I can spend on new plants/shrubs/and trees for my yard–which is my REAL love anyway 🙂
I think your season sounds more than satisfactory- the garden pictures show abundance and beauty…what gardener could ask for more?
The late season heat hit hard here in Ohio… my results don’t look nearly as good as yours.
I am going to attempt some last minute lettuce this fall. Other than that I’ll just put in some bulbs…even though I’m feeding the voles around here.
I’ll be pulling out my vegetable garden early this year, because we just haven’t had rain. Those books sound good, I should check them out because not a one of us is getting younger it seems.
I look forward to seeing you in Dallas!
I know what you mean Dee, you have to make the best decisions for your children. I have been meaning to get Sydney’s book~I think there are changes I can make that will help change how I garden and save some back breaking work on this aging back! What am I doing to prepare~I am finally getting the plants I bought all summer all over the US into the ground. Mulching is next, but I am going to add as many leaves as possible. xxoogail
Maybe I should write a book about old age and gardening, Dee 🙂 Or maybe not until I’m 90 and still gardening. Its always more impressive when you’re gardening at that age. I had an aunt that kept a home and garden until the day she died at 95. I wanna be like her.
Your garden looks scrumptious. Funny you should ask what I’m doing to my garden this Fall because I just started on a brand new plan for a flower/fruit/herb/veggie garden out back. Worked just about all day yesterday on it and got a lot done.
One often gets the impression that the same way of helping to sustain human life on our planet applies to people who live in towns and in the country. We tend not to be very flexible in our thinking and ecological movements sometimes give the impression there are tick lists to see which of us is living properly and who isn’t. Daft. But I don’t think sustainability and self-sufficiency are the same either.
It has never struck me before to wonder what kind of plant a sweet potato comes from. Because it’s called ‘a potato’ I’d always assumed it grows underground. Oh dear! Now I know!
Esther
Oh this is a bittersweet finish. Melons gone/dang those little chickies.
Joan Gussow and I were co-speakers at a conference years ago. She is amazing and I also LOVE S. Eddison, a TRUE gardener, dirt-under-the-fingernails and all.
I will read Ann’s column to find out about the flood. So sorry about that.
Have a ball in Dallas.
Love,
Sharon